A delegation from the Land Forces of the Defence Forces of Finland, led by Lieutenant General Pasi Välimäki, visited the Command of Ukraine’s Ground Forces to strengthen bilateral cooperation and exchange experience.
During the visit, Major General Hennadiy Shapovalov, Commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces, met with his Finnish counterpart. The two sides discussed the current state of cooperation between their countries and explored ways to deepen collaboration, particularly in developing specific military capabilities.
Ukrainian representatives briefed their Finnish partners on the current security situation in Ukraine and along its borders. They also shared insights from the ongoing corps-level reform, highlighting the key tasks of army corps, the benefits achieved by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and challenges encountered during implementation.
The briefing emphasized that the shift to a corps structure offers several operational advantages, including decentralized command, professional training, flexibility and adaptability, interoperability, digitalization and cybersecurity, modularity, and logistical support. Implementing these reforms has helped address gaps in operational-tactical command identified during the full-scale Russian aggression, strengthened capabilities, and enabled the rotation of entire army corps as needed.
The discussion also addressed characteristics of modern battlefields and the importance of enhancing situational awareness across all command levels. Both sides highlighted the need for intelligence at operational-strategic and strategic depths to identify priority targets that directly impact the enemy’s ability to conduct further operations. This comprehensive visibility creates a demand for long-range strike capabilities.
Additionally, the Ukrainian side shared experience in protecting military equipment from enemy drones, covering both passive and active defense measures and requirements for such systems.
The visit underscored the ongoing commitment of Ukraine and Finland to build strong, practical military cooperation and to exchange best practices in modern warfare and defense reforms.
